Chick-fil-A near 63rd & N May uses a two lane system that doesn’t merge, though they just use delineator posts beyond the speaker boxes to keep the lanes separated.

doesn't the second lane have a person hand you your order there? there is no conveyor belt right?

doesn't the second lane have a person hand you your order there? there is no conveyor belt right?

Correct, it’s all brought to you by an actual employee.

Correct, it’s all brought to you by an actual employee.

probably weird me asking that but I have only had chic fil a one time in my life

The old gas station is coming down this morning:

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The apartments behind michaels kind of reminds me of government housing growing up as a kid.

The apartments behind michaels kind of reminds me of government housing growing up as a kid.Yeah. And I don't remember if it was during original construction or a remodel but at least some of the buildings sat partially finished for many years.

The complex is called Mayfair Gardens and it's cool. Great mid-century charm and lots of green space all around. One of the buildings has a neat courtyard.

I walk by there almost every day and can see they stay fully leased.

I frequently see people who live there walking to and from Aldi and Target. It's a great location.

The complex is called Mayfair Gardens and it's cool. Great mid-century charm and lots of green space all around. One of the buildings has a neat courtyard and all the parking is behind the buildings.

I walk by there almost every day and can see they stay fully leased.

I frequently see residents walking to and from Aldi, Target and Walgreens... And now Summer Moon and very soon, Empire. That new Domino store will also have a large kitchen and their new builds are quite nice. It's a great location.

The complex is called Mayfair Gardens and it's cool. Great mid-century charm and lots of green space all around. One of the buildings has a neat courtyard and all the parking is behind the buildings.

I walk by there almost every day and can see they stay fully leased.

I frequently see residents walking to and from Aldi, Target and Walgreens... And now Summer Moon and very soon, Empire. That new Domino store will also have a large kitchen and their new builds are quite nice. It's a great location.I've always thought they were a cool place and a great location. I always wondered why half of them sat unfinished and empty for so long. Kind of like the ones on the East side of Penn near 39th but Mayfair Gardens sat for way longer. Seems like most of the time I was in grade, Jr and Sr high and many years after that. I was thrilled when I saw work finally being done to finish them.

The complex is called Mayfair Gardens and it's cool. Great mid-century charm and lots of green space all around. One of the buildings has a neat courtyard.

I walk by there almost every day and can see they stay fully leased.

I frequently see people who live there walking to and from Aldi and Target. It's a great location.

I like the old school apartments like that. Living in government housing similar to those apartments until 5th grade was pretty fun as a kid, always a lot of other kids playing outside and riding bikes back in the early 80's.

Although Alazán-Apache Courts in San Antonio was not exactly like this it still reminds me of these apartments.

That plot of cleared land on the south side would be great for an apartment complex with retail/restaurants on the first floor.

I'm still kind of floored to see this shopping center reshaped like this. So many memories at the stores there for the first 20 or so years of my life, and now with the demo of the EZ shop, the last of the places I frequented has come down. Bittersweet, but very exciting for the future.

Found these on the LoopNet site:

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/4900-N-May-Ave-Oklahoma-City-OK/25744252/

Conceptual plan for the land just south of Michael's. I believe Pad #1 is under contract to Taco Casa.

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Turns out Pad #1 will be a Panda Express:

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I thought Harbor Freight was going in here?

I thought Harbor Freight was going in here?

That was for the west section of the center and the deal fell through some time ago.

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So we no longer really have a Mayfair Shopping Center. We have disjointed buildings and yet more fast food parcels with drive-thrus. Seriously, how many fast food places does one town need?

I didn't grow up near Mayfair and wasn't there very often but I do remember some unique local shops in there. Color me disappointed in what this area has become.

Also, this area, in my head, qualifies as fairly urban (at least by OKC standards).

And yet they are still building the huge parking lots in front of the stores with very minimal landscaping. And no attempt at architectural continuity. I mean, even the most exurban parts of St. Louis are getting away from that. What gives?

I live nearby and would never call this area urban. It's near-suburban and has the same characteristics as much more farther-flung suburban areas: Mainly homes on largish lots with some commercial on the key arterial streets, especially at the section line intersections. Mayfair was just one of the first to follow this model that remains so popular today.

What Mayfair was really no longer exists. To the extent there are still large shopping centers, they are anchored by big-box retailers, small restaurants and services. When Mayfair was built, it was almost all smaller retail. Even the two grocery stores and TG&Y were very small compared to 'anchors' of the modern era. And then the rest were small clothing and shoe stores plus a bit of service.

Frankly, we should all be grateful and amazed any of that center is still around. You could probably drive from 10th to 178th along May today and not see even half the number of clothing and soft goods stores that were once all concentrated in Mayfair.

Also, consider what the service station was vs. what it is now. The original gas station on the corner was tiny and the Domino that is taking it's place is about 5X as large. There has been a big transition from small, specialty stores to huge ones that offer much more (like a kitchen and seating and a big carwash).

I walk through that center at least 4 times a week. You are mourning something that has been long gone for decades. That center was almost completely empty and really run down. I would love to have boutique stores and small sit-down restaurants, but that was not feasible even 20 years ago, let alone today. And frankly, Summer Moon, Empire and Domino are all great additions that will get tons of business.


The parking all comes from city ordinances. You have to have x number of spaces per SF of retail and restaurants. Many have advocated getting rid of that requirement altogether (as we have downtown and all various districts) and letting the property owners build as much parking as they want to build.


BTW, there is still a great, old-school barbershop in Mayfair. Been there quite and while and they recently moved him to a brand new spot next Summer Moon Coffee, and it's miles nicer than before. And I'm thrilled to have an Aldi so close; that area hasn't had a grocery store in at least 30 years.

Pete,
Thank you for taking the time to write all that. You are largely correct, as you usually are, and especially from the standpoint of someone who lives nearby, I defer. To a degree.

But I guess what confuses me is that OKC has generally had a real awakening in the last 10-20 years in terms of the degree to which it appreciates urban principles. I think about everything happening all across the core of the city, and even suburban developments like OAK and Chisholm Creek that nod to these trends. I do mourn the loss of local retail but there are many ways to build that are not so slash and burn. I mean, you could start by lining the buildings up closer to May along the lines that obviously exist in the neighborhoods to the south that are visible in these pictures. Just put the parking in the back and that would solve half of what I am talking about. You could build the Aldi and the bank and the Summer Moon place in the architectural style of Mayfair, a style that is at least vaguely present in that Michael's building. I can picture many fast food restaurants across the country that I have seen that "fit" with their local style.

I acknowledge that mom-and-pop grocers have given way to Aldi and mom-and-pop boutiques have given way to chains. But it's not the content of what is there that gives me pause as much as the aesthetics of how this is developing.

By the way, don't get me started on the gas stations. Something "5x as large" as whatever was there is a negative in my book. In St. Louis, neighborhoods fight against these large, Kwok-Trip colossuses and often win. I wouldn't want to live behind one.

Oh well. Rant over LOL.

stlokc, I think views on things like gas stations has much to do with what you're used to. We go to STL 5 or 6 long weekends a year to catch Cards games and eat, drink and be merry in between. One thing that bugs us to death there is the lack of mega gas stations/convenience stores. We love have to here. It's a matter of perspective based on what you're used to.

...I mean, you could start by lining the buildings up closer to May along the lines that obviously exist in the neighborhoods to the south that are visible in these pictures. Just put the parking in the back and that would solve half of what I am talking about. You could build the Aldi and the bank and the Summer Moon place in the architectural style of Mayfair, a style that is at least vaguely present in that Michael's building. I can picture many fast food restaurants across the country that I have seen that "fit" with their local style. ...

First of all, the owners aren't going to tear up the existing parking lots just to move the buildings closer to the street, that will just never happen.

Second, the Aldi was built in the style of pretty much all Aldis - it's just a block. The bank has been there for decades and will never be rebuilt in the Mayfair "style", which isn't really that great of a style, if you're talking about the "style" of the Michael's part, it's just faux dormers added on top of regular rooflines.

Third, the Summer Moon/barber strip is an original building from when Mayfair was *originally* built, way back when, so they've done a great job of preserving that, major kudos to them for the effort.

^

But it's not just gas stations, it's all manner of retail and even restaurants.

When you and I were kids (and Mayfair was still thriving) there was no such thing as a 5,000 SF restaurant; now there are hundreds if not thousands in the OKC area.

Same with grocery stores (Winco and Walmart vs. Humpty Dumpty), hardware (Lowes and Home Depot vs. mom & pop store) and general merchandisers (Target and Walmart vs. TG&Y). And all the modern-day equivalents mentioned are within 2 miles of Mayfair, not to mention a massive Sam's Club within walking distance.

Remember, Aldi was sold their land precisely because Mayfair couldn't rent the dated shopping center that was there before it. And at least in OKC, Aldi is not going to build a store to blend in with a large center -- in fact, there are tons of reasons why that's not a good business model for them.

You mentioned OAK... What was there before? An abandoned Salvation Army office building, an ugly 1970s office park and some small homes. You should see that as a huge step forward instead and an extreme outlier (Classen Curve is the only thing in the area that comes close) rather than a model for all old strip centers. Go look at 50th & Meridan or 63rd and MacArthur which were the centers my parents shopped when I was a kid. They are in far, far worse shape than Mayfair; the latter was so atrocious it was demolished in full and it was actually a relief in many ways.

And while we are at it, at the time Mayfair was thriving nearby Penn Square was way smaller. Now it's an enclosed regional mall with at least twice the amount of square footage, plus out-parcels for the Cheesecake Factory, Whiskey Cake and the Container Store.


You will find no one more sentimental than me. I remember shopping at Mayfair as a kid. Just before they tore down the section that once held OTASCO, I ran my hand across that building and said a private goodbye -- I felt someone should.

But as is the case with most things we are sentimental about, we fail to realize those memories had been blown up decades before and it just takes the violent shove of a demolition to make you face a loss that had already happened long ago.

I get it, and I don't want to argue. I am at a disadvantage in the argument because I live 500 miles away and even when I lived 10 miles away I was rarely there. But the fast food restaurants have not been built yet, literally the picture still shows dirt lots, which means they wouldn't have to tear up any existing parking lots. The Aldi looks essentially brand new, the CVS looks quite new.

I have seen Aldis that are not "the typical block design" including a couple of the ones closest to my house. Aldi just wanted to "plug and play" an existing design they already had on file because it was cheaper and easier for them and nobody cared enough to worry about it.

I also want to emphasize that I don't know anything about who owns all these properties. Maybe it's a lot of individual people that don't care about looking like a community. It all just looks like the far-flung suburbs, cut, paste, drop down, move on. I had hoped that the more established parts of OKC would think about things a little differently. But it's not my fight.

Now my rant is really over LOL.

By the way, Pete, my last reply was in response to Travelers. I didn't see your latest post before writing that last one.

Really this is my last post...

I don't think I am getting my point across very well. I am not sentimental about the old Mayfair. I was almost never at the old Mayfair. OAK is a huge improvement over the Salvation Army. I fully understand how retail has changed.

I still maintain that you can build gas stations, grocery stores and large restaurants while at the same time holding yourself to architectural standards. It is done all the time. Aldi didn't do it in this instance because they didn't care, and it wasn't important to the community that this area look cohesive and inviting. This strip of May will thrive and probably see more commerce than before. I get it, it just doesn't look any different at all from the same strip of things 20 minutes north. And that's just kind of depressing since this really did used to be a focal point for that part of town.

Just so you know, the Aldi and CVS lots were not part of the properties the current owners purchased. Those parcels had long been sold off.

Was Aldi to build in the style of the center when they constructed their store? Or to the original architecture of the center? Or should the new redevelopment be built in the same style as Aldi? Should the previous owner have held onto empty, ugly buildings for decades without any revenue when the entire center was mostly empty?


I will be 62 in just over a week. A big part of what drives my interest in OKC and this site are 60 years of fond memories.

But I also know that change is not only inevitable, change is almost a universally positive force. And in the context of this discussion, any of us can eat out any time we want, something my family did maybe a couple of times a year in the Mayfair era and we were dead-center middle class. If we took a trip back then, there were 7 people crammed in a station wagon, staying with friends or relatives and eating bologna sandwiches out of a cooler.

I could go on but our standard of living is exponentially higher than when Mayfair was full of small tenants. And a big part of our current high living standard was retail changing to become way, way more affordable to the common man.

I get it, and I don't want to argue. I am at a disadvantage in the argument because I live 500 miles away and even when I lived 10 miles away I was rarely there. But the fast food restaurants have not been built yet, literally the picture still shows dirt lots, which means they wouldn't have to tear up any existing parking lots. The Aldi looks essentially brand new, the CVS looks quite new.

I have seen Aldis that are not "the typical block design" including a couple of the ones closest to my house. Aldi just wanted to "plug and play" an existing design they already had on file because it was cheaper and easier for them and nobody cared enough to worry about it.

I also want to emphasize that I don't know anything about who owns all these properties. Maybe it's a lot of individual people that don't care about looking like a community. It all just looks like the far-flung suburbs, cut, paste, drop down, move on. I had hoped that the more established parts of OKC would think about things a little differently. But it's not my fight.

Now my rant is really over LOL.

Sure, the existing lots that are still dirt *could* be built to the street, but they most likely won't (I can't remember what, if anything besides the c-store/gas station, is being built on the newly completely-cleared lots).

I believe the owners are one small group of people (3-4, I think), but Pete can say for certain, or it's upthread somewhere that I'm too lazy to find. I believe they're just doing what they can to get tenants in there, and no, it will not be a unified style, and even if it was unified, the current style isn't that great, it's just generic. The old, original Mayfair was a unified style, but it also wasn't some architecturally wondrous thing that people marveled at, it was just "there", and that's the way it pretty much has been during its whole existence (I went there as a kid and adult - OTASCO, Streets, drugstore, etc., I'm 57).

I'm not even sure the original Mayfair was architecturally unified.

The building that now houses Summer Moon was completely different than anything else, and I don't think Stone's IGA (now CVS) on the corner matched anything, either. Ditto for the bank.

Somewhere along the line, the owners put on that horrible facade across most the buildings, but not all.

Those huge parking lots with the big setbacks date back to the new construction and it was nothing special. And nobody was walking across May Avenue from one business to another.

Here are a couple of shots of the exterior, from 1958 and from sometime in the 1960s (undated photo but the cars look like '60s models, I think).

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^

Those are awesome! Thank you.

One thing you can see in that second photo is that the bank always had its own architecture, as it does today.

You're welcome. The Gateway to Oklahoma History is an excellent resource: https://gateway.okhistory.org.

Here are a couple of shots of the exterior, from 1958 and from sometime in the 1960s (undated photo but the cars look like '60s models, I think).

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Personally, I liked this facade more than the faux dormers... Haha

The steel is up on the Domino C-Store:

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The contractor (Shellback) just posted that Empire is scheduled to open in Mayfair sometime in November.

Personally, I liked this facade more than the faux dormers... Haha

I'm not old enough to remember the pre-dormer view, but i've always hated the dormers and the whole add-on in general. The amount of wasted material and space to just slap on a "thing" on the front always drives me nuts. If you add space, at least make it alive and DO something for you. In this case, it could have been opened up for a high ceiling with natural lighting. The side views as they started tearing up this stuff, just shows how ridiculously oversized the space was compared to the building itself. They spent a whole lotta money on that. It's just my view of course, but i think they could have gotten away with an add-on about half the height and saved a ton of money. But hey, that was how many decades ago? Obviously way moot at this point.

Really this is my last post...

I don't think I am getting my point across very well. I am not sentimental about the old Mayfair. I was almost never at the old Mayfair. OAK is a huge improvement over the Salvation Army. I fully understand how retail has changed.

I still maintain that you can build gas stations, grocery stores and large restaurants while at the same time holding yourself to architectural standards. It is done all the time. Aldi didn't do it in this instance because they didn't care, and it wasn't important to the community that this area look cohesive and inviting. This strip of May will thrive and probably see more commerce than before. I get it, it just doesn't look any different at all from the same strip of things 20 minutes north. And that's just kind of depressing since this really did used to be a focal point for that part of town.

As per Aldi, lots of stand alones reflect the brand identity. Visual identity is part of their marketing approach. They are also very value conscious, which means they prefer to save in costs and pass the savings to the consumers (community) they share. Architecture doesn't drive their business model or ethos at the expense of costs. It isn't always they don't care, though I understand that is your interpretation. Sometimes it is that they care about other things more... like delivering value to customers.

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Bricks going up on the Domino C-store:

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curious about the tri -wheel bike in the lower right in that picture.

Do I remember correctly that Harbor Freight was supposed to open in Mayfair?

Do I remember correctly that Harbor Freight was supposed to open in Mayfair?

Yes, on the west side next to the bank but that deal fell through and now a medical imaging company is building out most that space.

Are there firm plans for the Otasco lot?

Are there firm plans for the Otasco lot?

Panda Express is taking one of three lots; the one closest to Michael's.

The other two are for sale.

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Domino has filed its sign permits:

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Empire Slice Shop is coming along.

They have a 'now hiring' sign and hope to open in November. The interior will be very similar to the Nichols Hills location.

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I noticed yesterday that the landscaping vegetation has been installed for the retail space that connects to InterBank just north of ALDI's.

Domino C-store is almost all bricked up and the glass storefront should be going in soon. They are close to finishing the gas tanks and pumps; concrete should be poured in the near future. Looks like the plan is to finish the store first then finish the carwash (to the east).

Empire Slice Shop is nearing completion and should be open by the end of the month.

The medical imaging place south of the bank is moving along.

Panda Express south of Michaels should be starting soon.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/mayfair111422a.jpg

Was there going to be a Taco Casa here or maybe somewhere else close to Mayfair on May Ave?

Was there going to be a Taco Casa here or maybe somewhere else close to Mayfair on May Ave?

That was rumored but so far no building permits have been filed.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/mayfair112022a.jpg

I noticed the Dominos in Yukon has a Shell gas pole sign at that location so I assume the Dominos is more just the convenience store at a Shell brand gas station. Do you know if this one will be that way too?

I noticed the Dominos in Yukon has a Shell gas pole sign at that location so I assume the Dominos is more just the convenience store at a Shell brand gas station. Do you know if this one will be that way too?

It appears on their website that their rewards card to tied to Shell Fuel rewards. Didn't realize that are in OK company, https://dominocstores.com/company/

Some Domino stores in western Oklahoma have large Shell-branded canopies over the pumps, but not all.

Empire Slice opens in Mayfair (https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=883-Empire-Slice-opens-in-Mayfair)

Open as of today (Monday 12/12), Empire Slice Shop at 4723 N. May in the Mayfair shopping center next to Summer Moon Coffee.


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This is the fifth location for the popular pizza place. There are three sit-down restaurants: The Plaza, downtown Edmond and Tulsa. The newest spot is counter-service, similar to the Empire Slice Shop in Nichols Hills.

Whole pies or by the slice, appetizers, salads, cookies, beer and wine.

Great covered patio as well as plenty of inside seating; eat-in or carry-out.

Hours are 11 AM to 10 PM Sunday thru Thursday; open until 11 PM Friday and Saturday.



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What was that monstrosity of a pizza that you showed there?

Walked by at 1:30 today and the lot was completely full.

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